The Most Fun You Can Have With String

Friday, 4 October 2013

So I didn't end up starting Asilomar after all, but I did start another Amy Herzog design - Arm Candy. I've actually done rather more than this but being the lazy baggage that I am, I couldn't be arsed to take another photo just yet. I'm actually more than halfway up the armholes. I haven't knitted with this wool before it I rather like it. The colourway is called Peacock, and although it just looks green in the photo it has interesting flecks of peacock blue scattered throughout. I originally bought it with the vague idea of making a sweater for Pete junior but it's really hard finding a pattern that will a) fit a skinny teenaged boy, b) aforementioned teenaged boy would actually wear, and last but not least c) I might actually enjoy knitting. So I've appropriated the wool for my Arm Candy and if and when I find such a wondrous pattern I shall just have to buy more yarn. Real hardship, huh?

Slow progress on The Flapper, because I've mostly been knitting, but she has a face now...

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Hmmm...is that the postman I hear? Why yes, yes it is!

And lookee here - two packages for meeee!

What's this? Could it be...yes! It's the SNA needles I've been desperately hanging out for! And they only took just over a week to arrive! (You have NO idea how hard it was to resist opening it until I'd taken a photo!)

All prettily wrapped in blue tissue paper and individual organza bags, glittering through the fabric like a hidden treasure -

And, oh my gosh, I'm completely smitten!

Look at those pointy, pointy tips!

Now I need to cast something on with them!

I also got the two latest Nora Corbett charts - Mermaid Azure and Faerie Autumn Glow and all their bling, and the embellishment pack for Lady Hera. I feel like Christmas!

Friday, 27 September 2013

Random Stranger: "Are you going to knit something with all that wool?"

I couldn't help myself, really I couldn't...it had been a very VERY long day.

Me: "No, I'm just really into bondage."

Cue very hasty retreat by offended enquirer....

I hadn't actually intended to start Colour Affection just yet, but after previously mentioned long day I decided to drop into the wool shop for some retail therapy. Unfortunately the wool selection locally is pretty dismal but it's really hard choosing complementary colours from a computer monitor. So I spent some time looking for colour combinations I could live with from the tiny stock of fingering weight, and managed to drop about half the skeins in the shop on the floor, one after another. After apologing profusely and repeatedly I felt like I should buy something, so I went with these -

Mmmm, soft...

And this is progress so far on Colour Affection. At the moment I'm kind of feeling like it has a baby wear vibe, but I'm hoping that will improve when the darker blue stripes start going on. This is just endless, mindless garter stitch with an increase at each end, but at least the colour changes keep a modicum of interest.

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Well, hello. This is my first post on my new blog, although some of you may know me from my now defunct 'Chewed Away". That was all about cross stitch though, and now, after a long dry spell, I'm starting to knit again. Oh, I've made the (very) occasional thing, but many years ago I was an avid and prolific knitter. I knitted for the children when they were little, and for myself, and relatives. But then I kind of drifted away from it. Recently though, the bug has started to bite again. And OMG, has knitting moved on! Once upon a time it was plain old Aero straights and whatever the local wool shop saw fit to stock. Now...well, lets just say that recently I've spent rather more than I should have on needles, yarn etc! Of course, I'm still cross stitching too, so I'll also be talking about that.

Right now, I'm itching to cast on Asilomar by Amy Herzog, but I'm waiting for some new needles to turn up so I can use them for it (Signature stilettos - be still, my beating heart!) and in the meantime I'm messing about making toys -

The little guy is kind of naked though - he's just waiting on his jacket -

On the stitching front, this is my start on Joan Elliott's Flapper from Cross Stitch Collection. She's on (old) Silkweaver Shadowbrook opalescent -